The Gracious Whim of Fate
by youhavenopoweroverme
Summary: The once peaceful forest spirit Pitch Black- now King of Nightmares- fixes his vengeful gaze on the child of those who wronged him, cursing the baby. Years pass, tensions between fae and human worsen, but Pitch can't quite feel happy about Anna's fate. The rambunctious young woman so fond of the enchanting Moors... and the fae who cursed her. Soon he wonders who's ensorcelled who.


The young Princess Iduna had long believed in the fair folk and all manner of magical creatures. This was unusual for a princess, for it was an occupation that normally took place inside safe, cozy castles where diplomacy and politics were considered vastly more important things to learn than fairies, which only existed in children's books along with stories of Father Christmas and the Boogeyman and Mother Nature and other such fables. But Iduna was not born into royalty, and this made the difference.

She was born the daughter of a wealthy farmer that lived on the far outskirts of the kingdom. She enjoyed the outdoors greatly and was permitted to do so by her doting widower father, who rested assured that it was not wrong for a young lady to enjoy her childhood days playing outside the modest manse, given that she was not only the pet of the family, but also that he already had two sons to help him run his business and one married to a kind young lady with a grandchild coming along for the proud older man to soon coo over, which left little Iduna to generally do as she pleased. And it pleased her very much to have little to do with sitting in her chambers studying mathematics, or learning to sew. Her father had raised her to be a proper little lady, yes; but otherwise, didn't care to stay indoors longer than she had to. The wind and the trees called to her spirit, and she felt obliged to answer them.

Being so familiar with the great forest and its inhabitants and having the open-minded nature of any child, Iduna not only believed in magical beasts. She was quite aware of their existence, for she saw them herself when it struck her fancy to venture beyond the borders that separated fae from mortal. She was careful to keep this fact from her father, for it was actually quite a way from their family's land with no one to look after her should she get into trouble. _But,_ Iduna assured herself every time she chose to cross the border,_ that won't be a problem if I simply stay _out_ of trouble_. She had much confidence in her wits and sense of caution.

The little maiden did not know that it was only somewhat due to her own wits and caution that protected her from danger. It was in truth much more due to the fact that the Guardians of Childhood protected the land and all the small children in it, bringing them the very dreams and wonder that make youth the most enchanting time to exist in.

She had met them on more than one occasion. She was particularly fond of Toothiana, who she personally saw upclose in her room at night a few times when she had played too rough and lost a tooth. She was also well acquainted with North, Sandy, Bunnymund, and Jack Frost, though Jack insisted to her he was not a Guardian every time she forgot and referred to him as such.

She loved them all. She wished they could meet Father and Oskar and Gustav and Gustav's wife Ulla, but the Guardians denied her this wish when she once asked. Grownups did not see them because they didn't believe they truly existed, they explained. Adults usually did not think magic was real. Iduna felt sorry for the Guardians, but sorrier for her family. She didn't think she would enjoy growing up if it meant you couldn't believe in magic anymore. She knew, however, she would always be able to see her friends.

She had a special bond with each of them. Tooth was like a sister, North a grandfather, Sandy and Bunny her uncles, Jack her other brother who didn't think what she had to say was just childish talk like her real ones did. She liked visiting the various places they lived in, from Bunny's flowery warren to the coldest part of the country just beyond the Moors that North sometimes took her to see in his magic sled. Iduna knew of the animosity between mankind and the Fair Folk, but she had only ever known kindness from the Guardians and creatures they protected.

But she loved none of them so well as Pitch Black. He was only a couple years younger than her, a gangly little imp with smoky skin and eyes the color of fae's gold that saw everything. He preferred to come out at night where his powers were the strongest. He could control the shadows, and could form shapes with his black sand, even fly with the aid of the sand. He protected the Moors and all who lived there. He seemed old for his age, Iduna thought privately, but there was always a gleam of mischief in his eyes. He played jokes on Iduna and sometimes together they would prank the other Guardians and creatures of the Moors as well. He had a wicked sense of humor. He never meant any harm, though, and the few times Iduna ever disapproved of his tricks, he usually stopped. They played together for hours, exploring every inch of the woods.

"Will you always live in the Moors?" Iduna had asked him once.

"Of course. I protect them. I'll never not be here."

At that, Iduna had beamed. "And I'll always visit. Even if I leave the farm and go see the world, I'll come back if you promise you'll always be here."

"I do," Pitch smiled back. "If you promise, too. We'll never leave each other. Never." The fae took such promises as seriously as humans took laws, and he was overjoyed that his friend loved him and the Moors so much she would make such a vow.

Pitch was fond of her, too. She didn't think his glowing stares when he thought she wasn't looking or little gifts of night flowers or cave crystals meant anything beyond friendship, even when he kissed her cheek and made her blush. Nor did she ever see that for Pitch, that friendship was turning into something else over their years together.

It was why when she met a young man wandering near the woods' edge, she didn't hesitate to befriend him, too. She did not have many friends her own age at home, so far out in the country did she live. She enjoyed playing with the Guardians, but most of them had their own lives to attend to.

He was a handsome blonde boy a year or so older than her. He told her he was Agnarr, Crown Prince to the kingdom of Arendelle, the castle of which one could get a very fine view of at the Moor's edge. Iduna knew by his manners and way of speaking he was certainly highborn, but didn't believe he was any prince. Why would a prince be ambling around outside, so far away from his castle?

He was lost, the boy explained. And he did look in need of help. His clothes were torn, his hair in need of a wash, and he'd eaten the blackberries she had shared with him ravenously. He had been at camp with his father and their men and had apparently not paid enough attention to his surroundings when he'd decided to explore a few hours ago. His father was on a hunt, Agnarr had explained, looking for the entrance to the Moors to find the Fair Folk.

That alarmed Iduna very much. "Why does he want to hunt them? They haven't done anything to him!"

"The fae hate humans, and they wouldn't hesitate to hurt us first," the boy told her. "Everyone knows that. They steal babies right out of the cradle and leave changelings. They curse families, sometimes kill travelers at night. They need to be stopped."

"They do no such thing!" she exclaimed angrily. "They'd never hurt a human who didn't hurt them first. You go tell your father he's doing something very wrong and to go home. Tell him the fairies don't bother anyone, they just want to be left alone."

"Why are _you_ here, then? _You're_ a human." Agnarr paused, looking her up and down. "Aren't you?"

"Of _course_ I'm human," she said, exasperated. "I live on a farm outside these woods. Do I look like I've got wings or glowing eyes? Do I look like a troll or a goblin, or… or something _not_ human to you?"

"Well, I didn't know, did I?" Agnarr sounded defensive. "I've never seen a real fairy or troll or anything like that before. No one has."

"Then your father is very thoughtless to go being angry at a bunch of people he's never even seen. I hope _you_ aren't going to try to bother the fairies, too."

Agnarr reddened. "Well, I… I was going to join him. He likes me to go on hunts with him. But… could I see one?"

"A fairy?"

"Yes. If you showed me they were kind and peaceful, I could go tell Father and get him to stop. Perhaps I could even take him to see—"

"No," Iduna said quickly. "Adults can't see fairies, the fae told me so. I don't think they like adults much, anyway. But maybe they wouldn't mind meeting _you_."

The children liked this plan, and set off where Iduna knew to find some of the fae. They met Jack Frost, whose snowballs in the middle of spring delighted Agnarr, even as they hit him square in the face and melted down his tunic. They saw a family of trolls, two of the tree warriors with their gnarled faces, even a firefox. Iduna had hoped to introduce him to Pitch Black, but could find him nowhere. _He must be sleeping and will be out later,_ she thought.

Pitch was not sleeping. He had seen Agnarr prowling around the Moors even before Iduna had, and saw their whole encounter. He hid in the shadows where nobody could see him, not even the other Guardians. He saw the children play in the brook where the water sprites lived. He saw Iduna pick a moonflower for Agnarr, telling him it would glow if he put it somewhere it could bathe in the moon's glow. He saw the two say goodbye as the sun began to drop and Iduna tell Agnarr where he could find the waterfall his father and their men had camped near, and heard the boy promise he wouldn't tell his father where the entrance to the Moors was. He even saw Agnarr kiss her hand and make her alabaster skin turn quite pink.


End file.
